Bijou Phillips Continues Post-Scientology, Danny Masterson Split
Bijou Philips looks forward to the future after parting ways with Scientology as her estranged husband, Danny Mastersonis serving his 30-year prison sentence.
“She left quietly [the religion],” a source exclusively reveals in the latest issue of We weekly. “But that doesn't mean she doesn't talk to her friends and family who still work in Scientology.”
According to a second insider, Phillips' inner circle has evolved since her departure. “[Based on] who she hangs out with, it's clear she's left Scientology behind,” the source added.
Phillips' choice to part ways with the controversial religion comes after she filed for divorce from Masterson, 47, last year following his legal troubles. Masterson was sentenced to 30 years behind bars after being found guilty of two counts of forcible rape for incidents that took place in the early 2000s. The actor has vehemently denied the allegations since he was arrested and charged in 2020.
Days after Masterson was sentenced in September 2023, Phillips, 43, filed for divorce after 12 years of marriage. A month later, she filed for full custody of the duo's 9-year-old daughter, Fianna. Masterson responded by agreeing to give Phillips full legal and physical custody, but requested visitation rights.
“Bijou is trying to put the whole sordid mess behind her and focus on building a new chapter,” a third source tells Us.
Masterson and Phillips started dating after meeting at a celebrity poker tournament in 2004.
“Every man at the table flirted with me, except Danny,” Phillips recalled Paper magazine in 2009. 'He didn't laugh at my jokes. I thought, 'Who is this Danny Masterson and what does he think he's doing?'”
Danny Masterson and his wife Bijou Phillips married in 2011 after meeting at a famous poker tournament two years earlier. In March 2017, Masterson – who welcomed daughter Fianna to Phillips in 2014 – was accused of sexual assault by multiple women in the early 2000s. As a result, he was written off of Netflix's The […]
Masterson recalled hearing that Phillips was a “little crazy girl,” adding, “After Vegas, and talking to her a few times, I was shocked at how incredibly intelligent she was.” She knew every book I had ever read. I thought, 'This girl is amazing.'”
After six years of dating, Masterson and Phillips tied the knot in 2011 and expanded their family. Phillips later praised Masterson for his support in a letter written for his sexual assault retrial.
“I am writing to ask that you consider this information in sentencing my husband, Danny Masterson,” she wrote in a letter to Judge Charlaine Olmedo. “I depended on Danny to take care of me and our daughter. I always felt like she would be okay because Danny is a great father. He was devoted to our daughter, reading her books, taking her on walks and to ballet classes. I never heard him complain. The two were inseparable.”
Phillips continued, “She loves her dad more than anything. When he calls us every day, she ends with “I love you too much, Dad.” We need him more than you can imagine. I know he has been convicted of serious crimes. But the man I married has been nothing but an extraordinary husband to me and a devoted father to our daughter.”
After guest appearances on several TV shows, Danny Masterson got his big break when he landed the role of Steven Hyde on That '70s Show. The FOX series, which premiered in 1999, followed teenagers coming of age in the fictional Wisconsin suburb of Point Place. Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Laura Prepon, Topher Grace and Wilmer […]
Since pulling the plug on her marriage, Phillips has enjoyed outings with friends and given a glimpse into her life as a single mother.
“Bijou has great friends in her corner and family members are there for her 24/7,” says the third insider Us.
To learn more about Phillips' new start, watch the video above and read the new issue of Phillips We weeklyis now on the stand.